1. EA SPORTS™ WRC
  2. News

EA SPORTS™ WRC News

New Cars Arrive Jan 28: Le Maestros DLC

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



6 new cars arrive in #EASPORTSWRC on January 28, which one are you driving first?
  1. Citroën C2 R2 Max
  2. Citroën C3 WRC
  3. Citroën DS3 WRC ’12
  4. Citroën Xsara Kit Car
  5. Volkswagen Polo R WRC 2013
  6. Peugeot 206 S1600


Le Maestros info here

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1849250/EA_SPORTS_WRC/

Dive into the EA SPORTS™ WRC Le Maestros Content Pack

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Dive into a golden era of rally with the Le Maestros Content Pack*, a tribute to the iconic French dominance from the late 1990s to the 2010s!

This pack celebrates the legacy of French rally success, offering an immersive experience with 12 historic stages from the renowned Monte Carlo and Portugal rallies.

Featuring six legendary vehicles to drive:
• Citroën Xsara Kit Car
• Peugeot 206 S1600
• Citroën C2 R2 Max
• Citroën C3 WRC
• Citroën DS3 WRC 2012
• Volkswagen Polo R WRC 2013.

Enhancing the WRC experience further, Le Maestros includes 18 iconic liveries and 16 exclusive moments that showcase the newly added vehicles, locations, and liveries, creating a dynamic and authentic rally adventure.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1849250/EA_SPORTS_WRC/

WRC 24 Expansion - FIRST LOOK: Latvia & Poland Gameplay (ft. Jon Armstrong)

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Get a closer look at gameplay of the new locations coming with the EA SPORTS WRC 2024 Season Expansion*: Tet Rally Latvia and the Orlen 80th Rally Poland.

Embark on a thrilling new adventure with the Tet Rally Latvia, bringing fresh challenges and breathtaking landscapes. Prepare to navigate the dynamic terrains and immerse yourself in Latvian rally culture.

After a five-year hiatus, the iconic Orlen 80th Rally Poland makes a triumphant return to the 2024 calendar. This historic rally is renowned for its rich heritage and fast-paced gravel stages that both seasoned and new rally fans will eagerly antic

Get ready to elevate your rally experience with the WRC 2024 Season Expansion*! Discover thrilling new locations, Tet Rally Latvia and the Orlen 80th Rally Poland. Drive the latest high-performance vehicles like the Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evo and Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 HYBRID '24. Customize your rally cars with more than 50 new liveries (including all the DLC liveries) and compete against 52 official crews. Don’t miss the action. Brace yourself to embark on your continued rally journey.

Take to the stage and get the latest info at: https://ea.com/games/ea-sports-wrc/wrc/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1849250/EA_SPORTS_WRC/

*Conditions and restrictions apply. See https://www.ea.com/games/ea-sports-wrc/wrc/disclaimers for details.


WRC drivers react to EA SPORTS WRC™’s 24 Season Expansion

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Earlier this year at Goodwood Festival of Speed, we gave the stars of WRC an exclusive first hands-on with the EA SPORTS™ WRC 24 Season Expansion, featuring the current season’s cars and two new locations: ORLEN 80th Rally Poland and Tet Rally Latvia.
Check out some early gameplay with our video here, and read on to see what they had to say about their experience.



Hyundai’s Dani Sordo is one of the most experienced competitors in WRC history, with almost 200 rally starts to his name. He remarked on the authenticity of the game’s stages while speeding through Poland in the i20 N Rally1 HYBRID ‘24.
“It’s nice to practice the location here as you can remember the stage from real life,” he said. “It’s a new experience for me, I’m not so quick in the game yet! You need to be really focused to succeed. It’s really close to reality, though I’m faster in reality!”



M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux has been the breakout star of 2024, taking the Ford Puma Rally1 HYBRID ‘24 to several podiums with his fearless driving. One feature of the Latvian stages stood out to him in particular.
“It looks a lot like the Latvian rally in real life” he remarked. “Like this chicane I’m coming up to, there’s a lot of them on the real stages.”



Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, fresh off a second place finish at ORLEN 80th Rally Poland in real-life, felt right at home in the virtual version, with co-driver Scott Martin calling out the notes alongside.
“After some time with the game I have to say the nature of the stages is quite realistic, I immediately recognise a couple of places from the Rally in Poland last week. That’s great and the way the car reacts is similar to the real thing. It’s impressive.”



Elfyn’s team boss, Jari-Matti Latvala, also had a run on our Fanatec rig and highlighted the value of sim racing to younger drivers.
“The graphics really look amazing, a real authentic feeling with the roads,” he said. “I think for the newer generation, like the Japanese Challenge Programme we run at Toyota, it’s good to get this experience.”



M-Sport rookie Grégoire Munster picked up on the finer details of the new EA SPORTS™ WRC stages.
“Straight away with the environment you know you’re in Poland. You can see it on the surface of the gravel, it’s a bit more sandy and whiter than you find in other rallies.”



Finally, Hayden Paddon, driver for Hyundai Customer Racing and 2023 ERC Champion, was enamoured with his time in the sim.
“It’s cool to experience it first-hand, and with those brand new Latvian stages, it feels like you’re there,"" he remarked. “The handling of the car is supreme. Definitely the best rally game I’ve played and I look forward to when the expansion’s officially released.”

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The EA SPORTS™ WRC 24 Season Expansion is available from October 8.
Learn more about it here and follow us online to get the latest news.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1849250/EA_SPORTS_WRC/

EA SPORTS™ WRC 2024 Gameplay Deep Dive

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

EA SPORTS™ WRC offers over 600 km of unique rally stages spanning 18 locations, featuring an extensive lineup of cars from various eras of rally racing.

Already one of the most extensive rally games, it’s set to become even better with the addition of the 2024 Season Expansion*, enhancing the definitive rally experience from Codemasters.


[h3]Rally Modes[/h3]


Our 2024 Season Expansion* brings the official cars, drivers, liveries, and locations from the latest FIA World Rally Championship season. Before diving into the new features, let's explore how to access the 2024 content.

In Championship Mode, you can race as and against up to 52 real drivers and crews from the 2024 World Rally Championship season. Compete across WRC, WRC2 and Junior WRC classes for glory.

When playing in the 2024 season events, the WRC class will use the new points system introduced in the real-world this year.

Bring the car home in a solid points-paying position on the opening leg of the rally, before risking it all on Super Sunday and the Power Stage to score vital bonus points.

In Career, you’ll build up your own rally team, with access to the 2024 cars as well as historic vehicles from the base game.

When you start a new Career save after October 8, you’ll be put into the 2024 calendar right away.

If you’re an existing EA SPORTS™ WRC player who is progressing through Career right now, your current 2023 calendar season will continue as-is, before your next season changes over to the 2024 calendar, events and opponents.

In Time Trial, Clubs, and Quick Play, you’ll be able to race 2024 cars against the base game’s 2023 cars in their respective classes. This expands the number of competitive options available, while also keeping leaderboards unified across our most popular multiplayer modes.

In Clubs, players who do not have access to stages from the 2024 Season Expansion will skip those events when they appear on championship calendars, but can compete as normal across all base game locations.

In Quick Play Multiplayer, if the host of a lobby owns the 2024 Season Expansion and selects a DLC location for an event, all players will gain temporary access to that location for the current event.

Finally, our daily challenge system, Moments, inspired by WRC history, will allow players to relive key events from the current season.




[h3]Five New Cars[/h3]


The 2024 Season Expansion* introduces five new cars across the three main WRC categories: WRC, WRC2, and Junior WRC.

The latest models from Toyota, Hyundai, and Ford come fully upgraded, featuring their official 2024 liveries and bodyworks for a fresh and polished look.

To mirror the WRC competition the handling of the new Rally1 vehicles has been constructed to accurately replicate their real-world counterparts, providing the closest on-stage battles yet.

Reigning manufacturer champion Toyota brings an all-star lineup with full-time drivers Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, joined by Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä, all driving the GR Yaris Rally1 HYBRID.

Hyundai's upgraded i20 N Rally1 HYBRID has been a fierce rival to the 2023 champions. Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak have been leading the charge, supported by multiple part-time drivers throughout the season.

Meanwhile, M-Sport Ford's young talents, Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster, have had an impressive campaign, with the upgraded Ford Puma Rally1 HYBRID securing multiple podium finishes.
New engine audio has been recorded for the Puma Rally1 HYBRID, with the Hyundai and Toyota vehicles receiving an update to their existing recordings.

This ensures players enjoy the most immersive and authentic onboard experience yet, truly feeling what it's like to drive these incredible machines.

We're also adding the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 to the roster, allowing you to recreate the real-life battle between Škoda and Citroën in-game.

Ensuring an authentic experience, we have recorded the Yaris’ unique 3-cylinder engine and refined the vehicle handling to replicate its nimble chassis and punchy torque, giving the WRC2 class a whole new flavour.

For Junior WRC, the brand-new Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evo for 2024 is ready for players to experience firsthand.

Junior WRC is the training ground of rallying’s future stars, and a great starting point for new players.

All 2023 cars from the base game will remain in EA SPORTS™ WRC for everyone to enjoy, and are not removed in favour of the 2024 machinery.



[h3]Two new locations[/h3]





To further enhance one of the most definitive rally experiences we have made, we're adding two brand-new locations: WRC Orlen 80th Rally Poland and WRC Tet Rally Latvia.

Rally Poland returns to the WRC after more than seven years, offering 12 stages, comprised of long 'hero stages' based on real roads, and their shorter, reversed variants.

Świętajno, allows players to drive the full 18 km and experience what real WRC drivers do.
The second hero stage, Gmina Mrągowo, provides one of the calendar's fastest yet most technical challenges.

Tet Rally Latvia made its WRC debut in 2024, bringing a new challenge to real-world drivers and players alike.

Over 20km of real roads await you, across two authentically replicated “hero stages”, with their shortened and reversed variants resulting in 12 total stages for the location.

Vecpils is a 16km stage with narrow forest sections, and Podnieki is a 10km challenge set against the backdrop of the Latvian countryside.

Both locations can be raced across all game modes in any weather and time of day, from sunny skies to treacherous winter snow, offering a true test of skill in varying conditions.

All 2023 calendar locations from the base game will remain in EA SPORTS™ WRC for everyone to enjoy, along with multiple bonus locations based on iconic rally environments from around the world.



[h3]New Liveries & Crews[/h3]


EA SPORTS™ WRC 24 will feature over 50 liveries and crews from the current FIA World Rally Championship season.

All of these liveries are available to use across all supported game modes, and the real-world driver and co-driver pairings will act as AI opponents.

You can also drive as them yourself in Championship Mode, replicating the 2024 season and its events.
We’ve gone into more detail on the liveries and crews coming to each car in the WRC, WRC2 and Junior WRC classes, check out our companion article here.


[h3]Two New Content Packs[/h3]


Players who pick up the Expansion will also get two additional themed content packs, free of charge. These will feature even more new content including historic cars, liveries, classic stages and unique Moments to experience.

Here’s a taste of what’s to come, get a sneak peek of them in action at the end of our Deep Dive video:

‘Le Maestros’ allows players to experience classic stages on Rallye Monte Carlo and the iconic Fafe stage in Rally de Portugal and is set to release this winter, with more information on its content to be revealed soon.

‘Hard Chargers’ takes players to the Umea region of Rally Sweden and to the hillsides of EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, with brand new routes to experience in Spring 2025. Stay tuned for more information!


[h3]More EA SPORTS™ WRC Reveals Coming Soon[/h3]

Over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing more news, pics, video and gameplay about the upcoming content, as well as the full patch notes for the update (including bug fixes and tweaks that will benefit base game players)

Follow us wherever you get your news and see the reveals before anyone else.



* Requires EA SPORTS™ WRC (sold separately) and all game updates. Le Maestros Content Pack available in Winter 2024. Hard Chargers Content Pack available in Spring 2025.